“Thank you.” Kagan clapped him on the shoulder. “First, we have to figure out a way to stop this weapon.”
Cyprian had been turning that problem around in his mind since this fiasco began. Unfortunately, locating and taking out the Jurou Biljana was a little difficult with those orbs pinning them in.
Abruptly all the Toufik in the warehouse perked up. Cyprian heard a faint whistle outside. The hairy people started heading for the door in response to the call. Something was going on.
Kagan glanced at a message on his handheld and chuckled.
“What is it?” Cyprian asked.
“Metcor is leading his clan on a lizard hunt.”
A broad smile split Cyprian’s face.
“Didn’t you say we needed a controller to stop those things?” Kagan asked.
“Yes.”
“There’s a controller. Your people need to bring it back here” Kagan said, after stopping one of the Toufik. “Between Cyprian and Tytus we should be able to shut it down.”
The hairy, black male nodded before exiting with his clan. Cyprian glanced toward the door, then to the casualties inside the warehouse. It would take time for the Toufik to hunt down the Jurou Biljana and bring back the weapon. That was time the injured didn’t have. A reckless plan surfaced, but the general could see no way around it.
Cyprian waited for his fellow warriors to become engrossed in their discussion about what to do next, then casually worked his way through the crowded warehouse, toward the door at the rear. Cyprian covered his head and slipped outside, before his friends noticed. If Kagan gave him a direct order to stop, the general would be honor bound to follow it. He was the only one who had hope of stopping that damn weapon. And he just might lead the orbs away, allowing the others to get help for the injured sooner.
Cyprian didn’t bother to look for the spheres, he instead took off down the alley, weaving between the handful of one-story buildings. Cyprian darted in an erratic pattern, while tracking the Toufik. The trio of blasts behind him, assured Cyprian, his presence hadn’t gone unnoticed by the flying menaces. It encouraged him to pick up the pace.
The general stopped as he sprinted between two buildings. The scent of Riley struck him hard. She had to be in one of the nearby warehouses. Cyprian then noticed the tail end of the Toufik search party, creeping into the cane field. It was hard to press on without looking in on Riley, but he knew it wouldn’t be a smart idea.
Cyprian wasn’t a shabby tracker, but the Toufik were exceptional hunters. With so many of the hairy warriors working together, they’d locate the Jurou Biljana in no time. Although Cyprian didn’t want to lose sight of the Toufik, he also didn’t want to risk them being injured by the things hunting him, so he followed at a safe distance.
Cyprian got a reprieve from the pursuing orbs, when he raced into the towering dulcis field. Cyprian stilled as one of the spheres darted overhead. They were roaming the sky, waiting for him to reemerge. He was careful not to rustle the cane too much as he sprinted between the rows.
Cyprian came to a halt when he reached the edge of the cane field. The road that lay between him and the jungle offered no cover. He looked up, searching for his automated foes. Seeing they were still panning the cane field, Cyprian took a deep breath, and made a dash toward the shelter of the jungle. Dirt sprayed in every direction, spurring him across the road. As Cyprian hit the tree line, a searing pain struck his bicep. He pressed on, refusing to take time to examine the wound.
The jungle offered less cover than the cane field, but the large trees shielded him, and slowed the orbs giving chase. Cyprian was grateful when he reached the river. He dove into the churning torrent just as the tree nearby exploded, sending bark splintering. The cold water felt good, cooling his heated skin as he descended beneath the current. Cyprian let himself get tugged down river. It would hopefully slow the orbs hot on his tail.
Riley
Riley stared through the foliage watching the scaly reptiles. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but based on the way one stabbed a finger at the weapon’s console, while another pulled his gun, it was clear they were agitated.
“The orbs must be equipped with cameras. Do you think they saw us coming?” Riley whispered to Fire.
Fire pointed to the sky then shook his head.
Riley watched with anticipation. The Jurou Biljana were so engrossed in their argument and watching the controller, they didn’t realize danger was already at their door. She smiled wide, relishing the sight of the Jurou Biljana’s surprise when over a dozen Toufik swarmed them. Countless more Toufik emerged from the forest, and descended on the reptiles. There were several flashes of return fire, but three Jurou Biljana were no match for so many Toufik. The hairy people really didn’t need the weapons they armed themselves with. Their sheer numbers had been more than efficient.